


Hogwarts Was Not Prepared

by opheliasparks



Series: The Synchronicity of Twinship [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Bodyswap, Fred/George - Freeform, Gen, Sharing a Body
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2015-03-13
Packaged: 2018-02-23 20:11:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2554061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opheliasparks/pseuds/opheliasparks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Year One for Fred and George Weasley would have been wild without their particular talents, but with them it was something else altogether. And no matter what Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has seen before, they were not ready for the Weasley Twins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Garrick Ollivander Sees a Lot

Standing in front of rows upon rows of small rectangular boxes, the wtins were stunned. Sure, they had been in Ollivander’s shop with their brothers, but this was for them. Bill was already out of school, and Charlie and Percy hadn’t been First Years in ages. This was all about Fred and George, all for them as few things truly were in a family of their size.

They stood mesmerized before the shelving that held secondhand wands, eyes wide and smiles broad. These were wands with cores that did not bond particularly strongly to their original owners. They were never going to fit a new spellcaster as well as one that chose them individually, but they were all basically functional. The appearance of Garrick Ollivander broke the two boys from their reverie.

“Well, I would know those faces and bright hair anywhere! Weasley boys!” Fred and George looked up simultaneously. They had been so excited in the past few days that they had hardly been able to hold on to one body for more than five minutes, so they had been even more in sync than usual. They moved together, spoke together, and refused to be more than ten feet away from each other at any one time. Outwardly, they had seemed more clumsy than usual, as it was hard even for practiced veterans of the Events to switch bodies in the middle of a step or a bite of food. That synchronicity had not faded on their yearly trip to Diagon Alley. “Now, let’s see if we can find some wands to fit you two.” Once again, Ollivander’s voice snapped them to the present again.

The wandmaker reached for the shelf and pulled down a few boxes, opening them with a little manic energy and setting them on a table before Fred and George. He gestured them forward to pick them up and try them out.

Fred reached down and lifted a long, slender wand from the box on the left. It was stained a dark mahogany and was crooked with knots all down the length of the wood. He flicked his wrist lightly, and it sparked feebly, hardly any energy finding it’s way from the caster to the tip of the wand. Nothing changed as George suddenly inhabited the body holding the wand. However, Ollivander’s eyes widened a little as he watched the young men in front of him, perplexed for a moment before understanding lit his whole face. This was something _new_.

He leaned forward slightly, glancing over at Molly Weasley standing in the front of the shop. She was looking out the front window, fingers tracing absently over a few of the displays.  Satisfied, Ollivander focused all of his attention on Fred and George, conspiracy and excitement fairly coloring the air around him.

“Oh, gentlemen, what a surprise. Does your mother know about that particular talent?” Again moving in an unsettlingly simultaneous manner, Fred and George’s faces snapped up to the shopkeeper. A practiced look of pure innocence, one that would come in handy often over the years, held on their face for a moment before it dropped. They shook their heads together, eyes narrowing a little in worry.

“No sir-“

“She hasn’t figured it out yet.”

“Only Ginny-“

“Our sister-“

“Has any clue and we don’t know how she figured it out,” finished George. Ollivander’s eyes flicked back and forth as the boys spoke, then he nodded to show that he would not be the one to give away their secret. With a flourish he swept the first round of wands off the table and out of the way.

“Well those won’t do at all, no, no, no,” He wandered off, speaking absently and distractedly, clearly thinking through his products and stock. His fingers twitched at his side and he muttered under his breath for a moment before freezing in front of one shelf and pulling two boxes off without looking at them. With a little more reverence in his manner he brought them back and set them before the twins.

Fred and George reached their right hands forward as one, and were surprised to see how different the magical instruments were. One boy lifted a dark wand [“Seven inches, pine, rather flexible; dragon heartstring,” Ollivander supplied] with a handled carved in the shape of a thin pinecone. The tip lit brightly before he moved his hand and when he waved it, a few boxes flew off the shelves and tumbled to the ground. He grinned brightly.

The other boy pulled out a sleek instrument, stained a deep golden brown [“Eight inches, oak, sturdy and rigid; dragon heartstring”] that closely resembled a new, stylish broomstick. The tip of this wand lit as well and Fred and George grinned at each other. As if on cue, they switched wands, handing them over, each boy delighted when bright sparks flew off in several directions. Both wands worked for both boys, regardless of who resided in which body at the time.

“Wicked!” They exclaimed together, beaming at Ollivander. This outburst grabbed Molly’s attention, and she bustled over, hiding the usual financial insecurity behind a bright smile. It fell for an instant as she saw the bright, obviously brand new boxes for the wands her boys held. She pulled it back together before the twins caught the look.

“Fred, George, you two stay over here, look around a little. I’m going to speak with Mr. Ollivander.” The boys nodded, hardly listening, happy enough to hand the wands back and forth and wave them around. Molly met Garrick at the counter, hands wringing a little as she fretted.

“You know I can’t buy those wands, Ollivander!” She hissed quietly, frustrated at the man for getting her children’s hopes up on things that were beyond her reach. “They’re brand new! I have never bought a new wand from you and I have brought three children directly to you.” She was looking rather frazzled, but she tried to keep her voice low enough not to worry her children.

“Oh, Molly, no,” Ollivander said, smiling placatingly. “This is entirely my fault. You’ll pay the normal secondhand price, I wouldn’t dream of anything else. I just knew exactly what those boys needed and I couldn’t let them walk out of my store with anything less than perfect for them.” Molly’s irritation did not fade immediately, but it settled down a notch or two. She was gearing up to argue with him, reluctant to accept anything she saw as charity from this man who she was not done doing business with. A noise from behind her drew her eyes to her sons, though, and seeing the complete joy taking over their small forms. With a sigh, all of her anger faded and she turned back to the wandmaker.

“Thank you, Mister Ollivander. Your generosity will not be forgotten.” She handed over the price for the two wands and turned away quickly before emotion overtook her. “Come on, Fred, George, wands back in the box. On to the next stop!”

The boys behaved as expected, replacing the wands in the boxes and reluctantly handing them to their mother. In the last instant before they stepped outside, two sets of brown eyes turned back to meet the silver eyes of Garrick Ollivander. The older wizard nodded to them and smiled encouragingly, then winked broadly. They smiled in return and left the shop, chattering happily and plotting together.


	2. A New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins make it on to the Hogwarts Express

“Mum, mum we’ll be fine, we’ve got Percy and Charlie and we’ve been here a dozen times, mum.”

“Yeah, it’ll be great. Go to the platform-“

“Drop the luggage off and find a compartment.”

Fred and George were trying their hardest to get Molly to just let them get on the train alone, to let them avoid some of the embarrassing parent stuff. Of course they loved their mum but they were ready to just be on their own for awhile. In a house like the Burrow, privacy wasn’t something that came easily or that you took lightly when you got it.

“Well, I have got Ron and Ginny all to myself today. Maybe I’ll just come through to 9 ¾ for a few minutes. Make sure everyone gets on alright.” The twins knew this was as close as they were going to get. And with Percy on board it wasn’t likely to make a large difference. They would take it and count their blessings.

 

 

They made it to King’s Cross Station without incident, Charlie and Percy helping to herd the four younger ones, much to the annoyance of the twins. They could handle themselves, they were sure.

It was a very odd sensation to switch right in the middle of going through the portal onto the magical platform, and George froze for a moment as his gangly body was half in and half out. Molly had to shoo him on to join his brother before anyone noticed the boy with his upper half stuck in a wall. It didn’t happen often, but sometimes the Muggles did get a little wise.

Boarding the train went without a hitch as well, and Fred and George waved dramatically with handkerchiefs flying out the window as the Hogwarts Express finally got underway. Molly hadn’t headed off immediately as promised, but she hadn’t held the twins in a hug for more than 40 seconds each and that was an accomplishment to itself.

The moment the station was out of sight, Fred looked at his brother, the mirror of himself with big ears and freckles and a long nose, and a grin spread across his face. This too was mirrored on the boy in front of him. Alone at last!

They were initially situated in a compartment with their brothers but Charlie had already scarpered off to find his seventh year friends and Percy was near to annoying the ears off them.

“I think we should head off-“

“Meet some of the first years-“

“Make some friends, learn the lay of the land.” And they were off before Percy could more than sputter in objection. They weren’t sure where they were going or who they were looking for, but someone was sure to grab their attention.

Moving together, the two young boys stumbled down the corridor, looking through the glass doors and switching so often they both had to look at each side to actually see anything of use. They had been working at getting their excitement level down to something manageable, but at this rate the first month of school was going to be challenging.

Given their unsteady pace and fractured attention, it was no surprise that Fred(-George-Fred?) ended up slamming nearly bodily into another boy and throwing them both to the floor.

“Oi, sorry, didn’t mean to-“

“Yeah, total accident, just wasn’t watching-“

“Where I was going. My bad.”

The other boy got up, shaking his head and grinning, and offered a hand to George on the ground. He had brilliant dark skin and shining eyes, and stood about even with Fred, which was odd because the twins were already a little tall for their age. His hair was pitch black and worn in thick dreads to his chin. When he had pulled Fred to his feet, he shook his hand vigorously and offered it to Fred again (though he probably didn’t know it) and shook again.

“No worries, friend. What are your names, then?”

“Fred and George,” They said together, probably the most practiced synchronized move in their repertoire. “And you?”

“Lee. Lee Jordan. Now tell me, how d’you do that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everybody, I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I just needed to bang something out so I could get back in the groove. Hoping this gets my writing mojo back.


	3. Off to a Great Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fast friendship blooms and the trip to Hogwarts feels a lot shorter than it would have otherwise

“Dunno what you're talking about, mate.” George said blithely, not taking hardly a moment to respond to Lee’s question. 

“Yeah,” he continued, from another mouth about a foot away, “we didn't do anything.” That had been one of the hardest things to get used to. Talking alone like you were two separate people. Or continuing your twin’s sentence like you were him. Two sides of the same tricky logistical coin. But they'd had eight years to work on it so it was nearly seamless by this point. It was almost more difficult to imagine the opposite way of existing, just being one person all the time, alone in your head and your body. Fred and George just didn't know how to be that way, and they didn't know if they ever would 

Lee Jordan just took a long moment to look at the twins in front of him, eyes keen for an 11-year old, then shrugged. Wise enough to ask the question, he was also wise enough to let it go when it became obvious they weren't going to tell him the truth. Still, laying or not, there was something interesting about these boys and he wasn't going to let them disappear 

“Right then, my bad. Want to find a compartment together?” Fred and George shared a quick look then nodded together, the movement simultaneous and joyful. The three boys headed off together down the corridor and quickly settled into a miraculously empty compartment near the middle of the car. They settled in quickly and proceeded to chatter amiably like young boys will about everything from family to home to amazing creatures and just how excited they were to finally get to Hogwarts. All three pulled out their wands to show them off, but they were very careful not to perform any spells on purpose or accident. As children raised in the wizarding world they were well aware of the statutes that prohibited underage magic use and even Fred and George were awed enough by Molly’s wrath and tales of misfortune to keep it to a minimum.

Somewhere in the course of this discussion it became clear that the three were imminently compatible in personality and temperament, never more so than when Lee proceeded to tell Fred and George of his habit of hiding in various and ever more creative confined spaces in his house in order to jump out and scare the daylights out of his mother. It was a little behind the development of Fred and George’s trickery, but the twins knew potential when they saw it. Lee didn't have nearly the stock to work with that they did in the Burrow, but if anyone could train a fellow trickster to new and higher levels it was Fred and George Weasley. By the time the trolley had come round with sweets and snacks that the Weasley boys turned down out of habit and knowledge of the light weight of their pockets, the trio was already coming up with plans to enact once they reached the castle. Fred and George had some knowledge of it from their older brothers and they were determined to start the year off with a bang.

The rest of the ride and their arrival at Hogwarts was largely uneventful, though they were so caught up in conversation that there was a bit of a scramble to get their robes on in time to disembark properly. But they filed off with the rest of the students and met the very large man with the lantern on the train platform. Fred and George liked Hagrid immediately as he set a hand out to shake and was incredibly gentle despite his size. There was a kind soul in the man, without a doubt. They crowded into the boats, staying near to Lee the entire time so as not to lose the one friend they had made in the press. In front of them, the castle loomed, lights shining in every window and reflecting on the lake before them, a brilliant mural of wavering gold and black swathed over the water. Something amazing was ahead and they knew it.

Fred and George file into the entry hall of Hogwarts castle, hiding their natural anxiety behind a show of explaining the whole process to Lee, switching bodies so rapidly they had to speak slowly to avoid stumbling over words. In another show of tact and wisdom beyond his age, their new friend said nothing about this, but his eyes flicked back and forth as the sentences tripped between the boys mouths and if he didn't know better, Fred would almost think the other boy was following him as the speaker rather than the body that held him at the time. This line of thought was cut off sharply by Professor McGonagall ushering them into the Great Hall because the boys were stunned into stillness outwardly and inwardly by viewing the splendor for the first time. The candles high in the air drew their eye to the charmed ceiling, clear and dark and scattered with brilliant stars. They were really here, really at Hogwarts, and the Sorting ceremony was about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short again and late again, but I hope you'll enjoy. I know it doesn't feel like a lot of substance, but I think it's something.


	4. And All to Gryffindor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred and George make it through the Sorting ceremony

The Sorting Hat’s song was quite impressive, based upon standards Fred and George Weasley didn’t really have except through letters sent from their brothers in the previous years. It seemed the Hat had had a quiet year since the last Sorting because its song was almost a full seven minutes long and the narrative of the Houses’ histories was so entwined and entangled that you could hardly tell a snake from a badger, and the Hat seemed rather proud of itself for coming up with something so clever. There were a few choice lines that Fred filed away for future reference

After the stories they had heard from Charlie and Percy, the twins had expected the Sorting ceremony to be something majestic or dramatic. It was supposed to be filled with deliberation and shock, each of the houses vying for each new student if they knew the name or the family. It was supposed to be nerve-wracking, and for awhile they supposed that it was. The first child called nearly looked like they would be sick, so it was clearly upsetting for them.

For Fred and George, however, it was honestly just a bit dull.

Their last names started with W so in reality the process just turned out to be a long queue and a long wait. At least the scenery was interesting, and they found themselves watching the students along the tables next to them, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws swathed in black robes and soft pointed hats, but somehow managing to display house colors in astonishing quantity. Scarves and pins and some sort of flashing button with either a snarling badger or preening raven could be seen on almost any student. Similar flashers could be seen in other colors beyond the first wall of dark fabric, but it was hard to make out anything other than green or crimson without obviously staring. Given that they were meant to be watching the ceremony with great interest, staring seemed like a bad idea.

One thing they did note was that their new friend Lee Jordan was sorted into Gryffindor with hardly a moment’s hesitation from the hat. He grinned with a little self-satisfaction and sauntered into the welcoming arms of the cheering students sitting under the banners of crimson and gold. The lion above roared as it had for each student that had come to rest under its haunches. One good thing about the mundane nature of waiting in a long line was that it settled the boys into their respective skins more than they had been in nearly a month. They spent about two thirds of the ceremony each in a single body without switching at all. It was strange but a definite relief.

Finally, the Sorting hat was set on the stool by a small scared looking girl who scampered off to the Slytherin table and Professor McGonagall called out “Weasley, Fred” in her official and serious tones. Both boys took a half step forward then exchanged a quick glance before George fell back. They heard a few snickers surrounding them, but the action didn’t seem widely noticed. Fred walked forward with a casual confidence that looked a little off on his already lanky body. He sat on the stool and waited as the hat was dropped onto his head. It slipped down a little around his head but he was saved the indignity of it covering his eyes by his slightly large ears.

“Well what have we here?” The Sorting Hat’s voice was a little disconcerting right at first, a little mocking and much more intimate when it was right in his ear. “You’re something special, boy.” Fred’s confusion stayed in his mind, but it seemed that the Hat was aware of it nonetheless.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice something like this?” The Hat asked, and the mockery had left its tone. This was something confidential and almost sympathetic. “I’ll tell you that you aren’t the first wizard like yourself, though generally by this time the family has figured it out and taken the child to see a doctor.” This time Fred almost gasped in shock. “Yes, yes, there is a procedure for stopping this sort of thing from happening. It’s quite painless and an option—” The fierce negation coming from the boy’s mind must have been answer enough, but Fred couldn’t be sure because he suddenly found himself standing in front of the stool, watching his brother twitch and settle into the Sorting Hat’s presence in his stead. The conversation had only taken maybe a minute so far, but the crowd in the Great Hall was already shifting a little warily. Very few students in their class had taken more than 20 seconds to be Sorted.

George blinked and continued the conversation with the Sorting Hat, though this was not a situation that Fred and George were very used to. They often refused to have conversations without the other present because that was the best way to avoid a cuffing for losing track of the discussion.

“And I suppose you’re the other one. Look, I won’t waste the time to say it all again. Ask your brother later. Anyway,” and suddenly the loud voice cried out “GRYFFINDOR” and George took the Hat off and stumbled into the waiting arms of his brothers and new fellow House mates. Fred waited until George’s name had been called and walked up the steps to repeat the process.

“Oh really this is tedious.” The Hat muttered before waiting all of three seconds before repeating the pronouncement and sending the other young boy to join his twin at the cheering and hollering Gryffindor table. The boys and girls swallowed them into their group, a few expressing concern for the boys, given that one had nearly seemed like a potential Hatstall and the other had hardly taken a moment. Fred and George exchanged a look heavy with meaning and came to the conclusion that they would simply have to deal with it later. Then they both broke into huge grins and shrugged off the others’ concern.

“Well we’re both in Gryffindor aren’t we?” One said a little cockily.

“Yeah ‘course, what’s there to be upset about?” And that was that.

There was another student or two after the Weasley boys but they didn’t pay much attention to their Sorting. Then Dumbledore, the great Headmaster they had heard so much about, gave a long and… meandering speech about the start of the year and a list of strange rules that were apparently being repeated. After that there was a feast, the size of which two eleven year old boys could hardly believe, especially coming from a house of more children than money. The rest of the night passed in a bit of a blur as they stuffed their faces and accepted congratulations of varied enthusiasm from Charlie and Percy. They made sure Lee Jordan got settled in next to them and kept up a steady stream of conversation with him. Lee’s eyes still seemed to follow the inner speaker rather than the mouth that was talking, but Fred and George tried to write it off as an illusion. Who could tell that sort of thing anyway?

The feast went on for an indeterminate amount of time and then the trip to the common room, through the painting of the Fat Lady ( _Ignominious Octopus_ was the first password they had to memorize) and settling into their wing of the boy’s dorm. The twins went to bed at the same time as the others, but lay there and stared at the ceiling until they were quite sure everyone was asleep. Then Fred crawled into George’s bed and they stayed up late, whispering together about what the Sorting Hat had told them and the potential consequences of what it had said.

It was nearly dawn by the time they were both ready to sleep, but they had come to a very firm decision. No matter what happened, no matter who found out about them, they absolutely would not undergo any procedure or magical treatment to be separated. This was who they were, for better or for worse. That decided, each boy fell into his own bed (opposite from where they had started, but who would know?) and dropped into deep sleep for the few short hours they had.

Hogwarts really was going to be an amazing place for the two of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Endless thanks to my lovely Shaun (wombatsexy.tumblr) for inspiration and the motivation to keep going.  
> Thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments on the first chapter and let me know that there was real interest in this story.


End file.
